Automatic gas-making apparatus



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AUTOMATIC GAS MAKING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 10, 1926 1a sneZ ts-sqeez 18 ko N "1 h S; 1 N w l 5: :i M w "i W I j Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UMTEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC GAS-MAKING APPARATUS Application filedFebruary 10, 1926. Serial No. 87,474.

The present invention has relation to a novel system of electricalcontrol and operation of the various agencies which cooperate in themanufacture of gas, and more particularly to the specific application ofsuch a systemto a water gas plant.

The broad features of my invention, being applicable to other uses aswell as to gas making, are claimed in my prior United States PatentNumber 1,634,827, dated July 5, 1927, which was filed on August 15,1.924: and of which this is a continuation in part. The claims hereinare directed to features applicable to gas making apparatusspecifically.

The following are some of the principal advantages of the invention.

The system operates on a normally closed electric circuit, so thatfailure of current causes an automatic shut down. The construction issuch that within fifteen seconds after failure due to broken wire orloose connection the system is prepared for automatically shutting downin a safe condition on restoration of current, instead of waiting untilthe wire fails when called upon to carry current.

The entire apparatus is checked up every fifteen seconds before andafter valve opera tion is due and automatic shut down in a safe positionresults where such checking up discloses a failure of operation.

In cases of accidental grounding of the electric system, the entireapparatus is automatically shut down in a safe position.

The apparatus can be taken over to hand control on any cycle at any timewith full protection by interlocking switches and by a safety shutdown.

The relation between blow and run in a water gas set can be varied topractically any proportional times, instead of being limited tomultiples of quarter minutes.

The apparatus automatically shuts down to safety when re-coaling isrequired, and this occurs either after a blow or after a run as desired.l fhen so operated after a run the set is automatically purged beforeshut down.

VJhenever a shut down occurs due to failure of a valve in any sequence,location of the offending valve is easily and quickly accomplished.

The apparatus is capable of going right on with a cycle after a shutdown, instead of having to return to zero first.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred form in the accompanyingdrawings wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of the centralcontrollerapparatus, Figure 2 is a view of the same in front elevationwith the front of the casing removed, Figure 3 is a side elevation ofthe same with the side of the casing removed, certain portions beingshown in vertical section, Figure -l is a vertical sectional view ofcertain switch-operating cams, Figure eta is a face view of said camsshowing their relation to one switch arm operated by them, Figure 5 is afront elevation of certain parts of the return to zero and safety shutdown mechanism, Figure 5a is a side elevation of the same, Figure 6 is aview partly in section and partly in side elevation showing the handoperating means and associated parts, Figure 7 is a plan view of theswitches operated by the three sets of cams, Figure 7a is a view inelevation of the mechanical interlock bar and associated parts, Figure7?) is an end view partly in section of the switch group shown in Figure7, Figure 8 is a front view of one of the setting dials and arms, Figure8a shows the same in vertical section together with the gears and camsassociated with it, Figure 8b is a view similar to Figure la but showingthe twin cams of Figure 8, Figure 9 is a diagrammatic front view inelevation of the time adjusting device, Fig ure 10 is a side view of thesame, Figure 11 is a front view of the charging schedule switch seenwith the front of the casing removed, Figure 11a is a side View of thesame with the casing front and parts in front thereof shown in verticalsection, Figure 12 is a side view partly in elevation of the automaticshut down switch, Figure 12a is a front view of the same, Figure 13 is arear view of the same and of certain operating parts therefor, Figures il and 14a are a diagram of the electric circuits employed in my system,and Figures 15 and 16 taken together form a diagram of a gas connectionwith the diagram which accom panics this specification; but it will bebest to describe first the preferred apparatusiwhereby these circuitsare automatically controlled:

from a single central point.

Referring to ur s 2 a d. t epr n pa v or master shaft 1isrotatedcontinuously anticlockwise by any convenient motivev means,

n'ial'iing one complete revolution (preferably) .2 Mai T ]ft.-' m nitcensecones. ins s 1;; carries a oriv ing pawl 2 which drives a toothedwheel 3 by en a in and movin forward. one tooth r b l I b 1 r 71 l aftertne other on said wneel. ihe ratchet wheel3 is preferably furnishedwith28 teeth,

and, as the par-J12 moves the wheel 3 the distance of one tooth everyquarter mmute, sa d wheelevidently makes a compl te revolution in sevenminutes.

Apparatus hereinafter described tends constantly to rotate thewheel 3backward, and this tendency is normally counteracted by the click-pawlawhich is held against the ratchet wheel 3 by a spring 5 (see Figures 5and5a). t

The wheel 3 acts to rotate the shaft 6,. to which it is keyed, in aclockwise direction. A slidably keyed sleeve 6a is on the, shaft 6, andthe gear wheel? is fastened on said sleeve (see Fig. 6). The shaft 6acts through the sleeve 64: to rotate the gear 7clockwise, and this gearengages and .drivesthe gear 8 keyed on a sleeve 9 (see Figs. 2, tandfi).The gear 10 is'attached to the gear 8, andengages and drives both gears11 and 12 to right and left respectively. 1

The gear 8 has twice as many teeth as gear 7 and therefore is rotatedonly 1/56th' of a revolution every quarter minute. Gears 10, 11 and'12'are all of thesame size and therefore they are alldrivenstep-by-step 1/56th of a revolution every quarter minute.

Rotating independently within the sleeve 9 (see Fig. 1) are the sleeve13 and the shaft 1 1; and the end of run arms 15 is fixed to the rearend of the shaft 14 (see Figures 4 and 5). The arrows in Figure 2indicate the direction in which the various shafts are turned.

The angnlarrelation of the shaft 14,150 the gear 8 and sleeve 9can beadjusted to posi:

" tions 1/56th of a revolution apart by means of an indicating andsetting arm 16, on the front end of the shaft 14, which arm carries aspring pin 17 adapted to enter any one of H the circular row of. holes18 in the graduated disc 19 attached to the sleeve 9.

Attached to the front frame plate (Fig. 1) is a dial plate 20.,concentric with the shaft 6. The dial 20 has 2 1 quarter minutegraduations around its periphery, and, as the shaft 6 is drivenstep-by-step the pointer 21 indicates these graduations successively.

As shown in the drawings, the setting arm 16 is secured in the sixminute position in the plate 19, and the end of run arm 15 is pawl 4andl'ockingarm 24. This obviously withdraws the pawl a, freeing thewheel 3, and the parts are'loclred in this position by the end of thelever 24 coming under the latch 25. This latch is held down by thespring 5 which also holds the pawl against the w ieel 3, being attachedat one end-tothe latch 25 and at the other. endto a. projection on thelong lever 26 attached to the shaft 23 (see Figures 5 and 5a).

The action of the arm 15 just described always occurs at a moment. whenthedriving pawl 2 is driving one of the teeth of the wheel 3.

however the )awl 4 havin beenwithdra-wn the wheel 3 is free to rotatebackward under the influence of a. we1ght.2( (seeFigures2,

and carriedona cord 28.jwhich passes over. sheaves 29 and 30, thelatterbeing fixed on the shaft 6. The end of the cordf28 is firs tened'to theperiphery of the. sheave 30.(see Fig. 6).

The weight 27 thus acts, to produce a quick. counter-clockwise movementof. the wheel? with corresponding backward movementof wheels 7, 8, 10,11 and. 12. This continues until a stop pin 31 5) on the. cam 32,attached to the gear 11,strikes the arm 33. which is a bell-crankextension of the latch 25 (see Figs. 3 and 5). This lifts said latch,releases the arm 24, and allowsthe retaining pawl 1 to engage a tooth onthe. wheel 3, thereby stopping thesarne in zero position. This istheposition indicated by. the; pointer 21 in Fi ure 1. i p

In order always toinsure a-definite stop at zero, a fixed'stop 3a isprovided-(see Fig. 2)

which is attached to the main frame. A stop arm 35 attached to the gear12 restsagainst this stop 34 when all parts. are. in zeroposition.

This automatic return to Zerooccurs at the endof a cycle of. operation,the duration of which is determined by the setting of the arm 16. Ofcourse, since the master shaft 1 is moving continuously, the drivingpawl2. will again begin to drive the wheel. 3forward the next time the shaft1, completes a revolution. This is a quarter minute after. the moment ofrelease of the pawl 41, above described.

It is one of the advantages of my apparatus that the cycle may beoperated byhand at any time desired; when, of course, the

